@@curtisstroud3 kinda? for me 120k was jackpot find hahah. To be fair most of the maintenance problems are resolved after 150k because half the car is made of replaced parts.
I just bought my first R53 last week. It had one female owner from new and a full service history from a local german car specialist. The history came in a plastic bag with about 30+ receipts. It has loads of extras (pan roof, full leather H & K CD changer) and the chilli pack. It only has 67k miles and I paid £2200. Cant believe my luck but it does need a couple of jobs. I just stumbled across your video today and your smile is very similar to min after driving it for the first time ! Great video and I also like the tuning one !
Great looking car, I've owned a few R53 minis, still have one and I look after 4 more of my mates. Absolutely great cars, for tuning I wouldn't take it anywhere other than 1320 mini in st neots. What Scott and tom don't know about these cars isn't worth knowing, they are the only guys in the uk who can tune these properly. Orranje if you want parts oli and team are great used them for years. If you want 2nd parts then Jason at millsys autos in nuneaton be best place to go. Mods wise get the front bushes on the trailing arms swooped to poly bushes make it handle far better, 17% reduction pulley with a air tec or GRS intercooler swop header tank for an alloy one, ditch the run flates and the dual mass flywheel. Also when you have the passenger side wheel off look into where drive shaft goes into the box just above it is a sticker, if it has BKE it's a facelift box if its BKL its factory LSD (25%) thats gearbox to have. Also steer clear of the MSD coilpack bad news with those, just have a Google you'll see. 1320 make over 700bhp on the stock coil pack. Good luck with the R53 I'm sure you'll have fun
Agreed, 1320Mini Only place to take r53's they are the best in the mini game, defiantly go for a 15% or 17% pulley!, Airtec or GRS intercooler i agree with too. Orranje Stealth box induction or Airtec kit, Don't Recommend any Ram induction Kits does not cool the car down enough and no performance gains. I would not Recommend GTT for tuning the car, they are shamed in the Mini World check all the car forums we do not speak of that company in the Forums! Coming from an R53Owners Club Member!!!
Hi Stephen, Aron I will be moving to Dublin and want to by some small car for daily drives if I need too, but mainly for the weekend trips, I read that Irish second hand market is complete garbage, where should I look if I wanted to buy a car from UK?
I’ve always had a soft spot for these, so much car for the money. I just wished they designed better seats and steering wheels on these. The sound is always good though, even exhaust tones. A guy near my work has one and it pops and crackles such a nice note
Looking forward to this, I bought an F56 cooper S last Feb after driving diesel saloons for years due to work commitments and kids, was like being 20 again, I love it every time I get to drive it!
Start with the brakes because the stock ones start fading quickly! I went for R56 S brakes, braided lines, EBC pads + discs. The control arm bushings tend to wear out completely so you want to replace them with polyurethane ones (I chose Whiteline). I also went for a Milltek non res exhaust. Fantastic addition to the whole experience. Now all I need is a reduced pulley, CAI and remap! (And maybe a set of lightweight wheels with semi slicks for track use in the future)
After having my Abarth stolen I sulked for nearly 3 years before I decided what to do next. I then bought an r53 and love it. I’ve already bought bigger breaks but I need to get some other bits done beforehand, reduced pulley etc. From what I’ve been reading everyone suggests that the supercharger needs to be serviced around the 100k mark. If your going to be having a pulley I’d suggest that you service the supercharger and get the water pump at the same time. I’m really looking forward to watching your videos, the ups and downs of these little beauties. Mine is a long term project so the mods etc will be over years not months like you. Good luck and have fun :)
Loved my R53, since selling it the Abarth has been the closest giggle when driving I've had. A reduced pulley, GP intercooler, M3 mini induction, KW V1 coilovers and a JCW exhaust (that was hard to get hold of) and it was a mad little thing. Once modded flick off the TC for every drive, I found it kicked in when pulling out of junctions if not which can be worrying
i bought 2006 r53 in 2012 cost about 8k with 8000+ millages.. by saying in 10 years its down to 3k its cheap because this car is legend.. bought it in London n shipped to Malaysia.. still driving till this day
I'm buying a 2006 mini Cooper s Convertible and just had a pre-purchase inspection done By a BMW Dealership and it scored 100 on everything being mint and in good condition, I'm paying $7.500 US, and it has 102.496 miles , everything that is problematic has been changed including the supercharger pulley (15%) all bushings, belts and the belt tensioner have been changed. The top and frame are brand new. I can't beat it as the car was meticulously maintained with all service records present. I can't wait to drive my little beast , it's a cool car .
Got my second R 53 with 158K miles. Do a Dinan Chip and cold air induction! Too much stress with the pulley change. I got it up to 180 K miles....then got hit with brake calipers, ac compressor and throttle body.......did some of the repairs, but not the A/C.....great find mate...these are just So Much Fun!!!
My uncle owned one of these, interior exactly the same, and the coulour was the same, it was at first a Mini Cooper s R53, then he made the performance to match the Mini Cooper works. Rapid!!!
I've literally just today bought an 03 pre-facelift S - hence looking at youtube vids on them. Totally standard with last owner for 17 years. Never had one, but look forward to sharing some R53 insight. Best of luck with yours - actually looks like a lovely example, like them in that colour scheme.
I got my r53 about 2 years ago, my cousin was the 2nd owner, i paid $4500 USD cause he had a kid and needed a larger car, it had 41k miles! Currently has 58k miles. I have a craven speed cold air intake + k&n air filter, 15% pulley, and a milltek high airflow cat-back non resonated exhaust, i love this car lol, it's my first car and i've modded about over a year times span, currently about 200HP, looking into coil overs right now, rims, and a stage 1 tune / airtec top mounted and a Milltek exhaust header manifold kit.
The tuning companies i've been looking at have been VR Racing flash tunes, apparenlty BMW locked the "stage 2" aspects so you need to ship it out to go "stage 2" or if you know someone local they can do it obv but its hard to find sometimes local.
I bought exact same model and colur last week 160k mileage for 1,300£. It drives absolutely fantastic and at this price ifninjeed a new engine in qnyear or so ill happily spend the money on it
I recently bought my r53 for £1200 beginning of January it come with complete service up to last year, all oil seals done, full leather, heated rear and front windscreen, 2 keys, and the majority of paper work from the work it’s ever had done. Yes it’s a pre-facelift with 130k miles on the clock but it pulls! And it has a miltek exhaust and cat already on it! I got my self an absolute bargain!. I came from a Audi A3 8p 2.0 tfsi and I much prefer the mini overall
You’re just a head of me .. I’m buying a perfect r53 and just researching. So.. Maintenance .. check water pump, it’s seal, the water pipe behind it ages and leaks. The sump and valve cover seals, the water tank. Performance ... before a pulley fit the better intercooler. These cars run hot. So got the intercooler you’ll get more bang for your existing buck. Then the pulley. Then the little ignition pack .. upgrade that too. Oh and fit a colder plug. Apparently the inlet and exhausts are restrictive. So a new cold air intake with a sports exhaust supposedly makes a feel feelable difference too. Let’s see what you do. Let’s see what I do. Anyway you’ve got my subscription buddy. Let’s have a chat as we go through and good luck.
Common time for these to hit the market when coming close to the 100k service which includes the supercharger. I used 1320 mini near st.neots who are incredible and got them to do the service and while supercharger was off a new pulley fitted at the same time reduced 17 percent. colder spark plugs needed at the same time and any decent garage will advise you
100,000 mile service is the big one, super charger service and oil change which is a big job. Recomend KW suspension. Adjustable rear caster and camber. Big brake upgrade before power upgrade. Poly bush throughout. Transformed my R50 with those mods and the guy I just sold it to was totally amazed by it even said he was going to sell his R53 as couldn't believe how mine went round the corners so much better. Can see a race coming up with PetrolPed in Ruby.
I own an r53 myself, love the car! mine has the IMASAF full exhaust system fitted and i'd definitely do that. more rare than milltek and in my opinion sounds better too!
My 2002 S turned 20 a couple of months ago. 390,000 km. Still gets 600 km on a tank. Took it trans continental 8 times - really liked Arizona. Upgraded to a JCW over the years. Looking forward to its silver anniversary. Edit: ,000 instead of k
What I love about the traction controle on these cars is that the light comes on to tell you that the wheels are spinning, it's not going to stop them the car is basically going brace yourself shits about to get real 🤣
My R53 is on 140k, engine has been refreshed my 1320 and tuned by them to 240bhp, car runs like its brand new imo. Like others have said 1320 are the best r53 specialists
Had a 2004 cooper s for past 6 years. Will NEVER NEVER sell it. I wouldn’t touch it apart from reduced pulley and may be a supercharger service at 100k. That whine is something else. I very rarely listen to radio or a cd. Enjoy
Ah the memories! I had 4 of these, last one being a GP1 (my fav car of all time). Please check the power steering pump and cover. Also check the radiator reservoir tank. As for mods / tuning - dial in a bit more snap crackle pop from the exhaust. 16 inch wheels with higher profile non-runflats are the most comfortable, although eighteens always look best. Wish you many happy miles!
I bought a 2006 Mini Cooper S for 2500 five years ago and it had 230xxx miles. I still have it with 276xxx miles and runs like a champ. And yes it’s manual
I am a HUGE MINI fan, and so happy to see you are too with all your MINI content! Can't wait to see what you get up to with this little pocket rocket. Love your videos!
First performance improvement = Get rid of those wheels! The R85 'S-lites' (aka 'S-heavies') weigh over 25lbs each! They were the heaviest 17" wheel MINI put on the R53s -- by a LOT. If you want to try a fun experiment, find a set of OEM R50 15" R81 7-hole Imola wheels -- they weighed only 12lbs each and will clear the OEM R53 brakes. Put a set of those on and you will feel the very noticeable difference in performance that a 13lb per wheel weigh reduction can yield. By the way, 20 year MINI owner here -- R50, R53, R52 JCW, R56S, R55S, F56JCW... Looking forward to this project!
I had a factory Jcw r53 with the 210hp upgrade, i would check or replace coolant reservoir, ditch the run flats for a decent set of tyres transforms the way the car rides and handles. Decent set of discs pads as stock aren’t great. I would upgrade the stock exhaust for the jcw sounds great 👍.
LOVED mine, proper tailhappy in the wet like a RWD car for some reason, it was such a laugh! Lohen were my go-to (Just off the MY in Staffordshire), they know every inch of these things. Excited for this one
I'm in the US and have an 05 mini S. Beautiful whine. I love watching videos of ppl driving this car bc, without fail, the driver grins ear to ear. Most fun I've ever had driving a car. Close 2nd was my 99 Eclipse.
Welcome to a great club. Change the BPV in the supercharger for a GTT or Rooster Racing item....it's an easy boost as they get saggy,weak spring,s and don't close and worth about 1psi over tired stock.An adjustable throttle control box feels like an extra 20 bhp on throttle sharpness( yes really) even though it adds nothing and are cheap to buy and easy to fit Rear anti roll bar swap too and polybushying really tightens up the handling. 200 +bhp is more than enough and quite easily gained but it never seems to stop there for most.....Mintex racing pads will just about make the brakes passable, change the tired fluid for dot4. I can't see me selling mine easily,I drive an RX8 also and it's my car of choice
Loving the new approach and presentation of your content. Shorter, snappier videos and more entertaining. Can't wait to see what plans you have for the r53...keep it coming...☺️
I’d advise getting the supercharger serviced as it needs to be done by 100k . Mod a mini are worth chatting to for any work and upgrades. They can supply abs fit any parts . Our R52 was brilliant. I fitted the Forge style intake on ours and took the cold air feed from the bulkhead. The supercharge whine was ridiculous 👌🏻😂 I also fitted a full stainless system to it just before we sold it. That was crazy loud but the pops out of it were very angry 🥴🤷🏼♂️😂
1320mini at St Neots, best place for r53 supercharger mods. recommend Going Stage 2, Lohen Mini is also a good company. Owning two R53's, one stage 1 currently and another JCW 210, definitely would suggest going to 1320mini. Get rid of the run flats 100%.
Totally get why you've bought the Mini. The Abarth and Mini offer same smile on your face drive, but arrive at it in totally different way. Owned both, loved both, and I've just got my mini l2 in red over black.👍
@@StefABtv As much as I'm loving the l2 , although not the range in the cold weather (loving the pre heating mind). The r53 seamed to have more charm than the newer versions, something got lost??? Also found bmw/mini parts departments we're cheaper than after market parts strangely, bear them in mind when pricing things up. I put the jcw grille in the top, but the lower one doesn't fit, so plasty coated the lower one in black. Came up really well and didn't diy at all. Looking forward to more vids🙂👍👍
What’ a great car! We have one and it’s so raw and analogue. No screens and useless gadgets. It’s a blast to drive and I can’t wait to see what you do with yours.
Great video mate. I've had my R53 Chilli Pack for +5years but ensured all mods look stock from the outside... So, hand-built John Ashley (Walsall) beefy SS exhaust with OEM tips. Rebuilt engine at MJR Minimatt (Nr.Telford and BMW Mini trained), camshaft, pulley, intercooler, big brakes etc. etc. Great fun to own and drive!! 👍
Just bought my first r53 this summer, its amazing and i love it more every day, the last owner had some bumps so the paint need some love. Hope to restore it so it can shine like new again. Best of luck to you, and cant wait to see what you will do to it. Maybe even give me some ideas! Haha
High mileage at 94k?! Your having a laugh! The last high mileage car I bought was a Vauxhall Insignia tourer (estate) 4 years old 154,000. Immediately remapped to 195bhp. Changed the original clutch and flywheel at 180,000 sold to my eldest at 198,000 after many trips across Italy (was living on the Adriatic). My eldest has since sold it to my youngest with 230,000 on the clock about a year ago. Still going well.
Love R53 minis before they became 'oversized' with the later models.. Decided on an Abarth though, just too many minis on the road so i wanted something a little less common place :-)
Ive had my R53 2005 for about 5 years now and I’ve loved it since day one. Yes indeed the power steering pump did fail me while I was driving so get that checked and the coolant reservoir tank cracked on me and started leaking. Had some more problems with it before that and I just changed it to a metal tank off of eBay, worked like a charm. Excited to see what cosmetic mods u end up doing, I changed my grill to a jcw black OEM, prefer it loads more than the chrome lines
I bought one of these last year to be used as a weekend toy/track car, it was cheap with 130k on the clock, i removed the supercharger to change the oil on it and also fitted a 17% reduction pulley to it with colder sparkplugs, then had the cat back exhaust fitted plus intake mods, had it remapped to sort the fueling and its a different car, i put some HSD monopro coilovers on it and changed the alloys for 17" with nankang ns2r's semi slick tyres fitted, now its like its on rails, the back end can be a bit iffy in the damp/wet roads so be careful of that :).
I love the mini stuff got a gen3 Jcw had a r53 and loved that. Would advise to put a clutch in it most of then have gone or started slipping by that mileage. There loads of stuff you can buy but I would advise you for power to remove the supercharger send it off to gtt tuning to have the fully £900 rebuild they put a new pulley updated bearing and gears and set all the backlash in the rotors in the chargers and makes it stronger then from the factory. All so it the little thing like you can buy the lightened pulleys form lohen that make the car spin the charger sooner and faster. Cams in the r53 are really good for bigger power and when you have a clutch done I advise to buy every ball joint for the front but buy the roll centre adjusts for when you lower it will bring the hub back up so don’t kill your box or shafts and polly bush the anti roll bar and rear arm bushes only if you have it all out on the floor do it all once.
I forgot to tell you the mods I made on mine. Alta pully 15%, Alta Light weight crank pully, Alta cold air induction, Alta intercooler cover, stainless steel headers, OBX stainless steel exhaust. The exhaust was a little overkill as the popcorn sound was amplified when letting off the throttle, but mad fun.
That's almost identical to mine! 😀 Bought it March last year for c.£1400 105k, recent clutch, needed tlc rather than any meaningful work. Put tyres and brakes on it so far. MOT time next!!
Facelift is the way to go, more pops and bangs, better supercharger. I went the other way and I bought the most expensive one (atleast one of them) in the netherlands :') Came with the chrono pack and factory recaro's tho.
my first r50 non s but has done 217000 miles and still was working fine but got t boned at a junction its not going out like that though. love the first new mini, I wouldn`t lower it they nailed how it handles standard
Occasionally, all of the wheel speed related indicator lights come on and stay on. I've found 3 out of 5 times, about 15 minutes of "auto-cross" on a dirt woods road will correct that.
About 5 years I got offered a pre face lift copper S with a works pack 180k on the clock for £800 same colour only difference was it had black wheels. The car had a couple of owners but had FSH. I didn’t have the money but my cousin brought the car to replace her old mini one which had just expired with similar mileage. The car I brought off a trader friend from my time in the motor trade. My cousin had the car for about 2 years and was knocking on the door of 200k and to be honest was a very reliable she even did a couple of track days and replaced it with a yellow Abarth 595
At the moment i have a Mini r53 aswell and have fitted a 17% pulley with a tune from Minispeed (beek auto racing in NL) and on their dyno it produced 218hp at the crank with bkr7eix spark plugs. You will find the pulley upgrade the most bang for buck upgrade and definitly get a tune as the original timing is a bit to advanced on the top end which can lead to detonation. Good luck with the build
I like it, I like the R53 Yes, you could take the easy route, get an Abarth, convert it to BiPosto standards, but I think you'd be bored. (This is from a 4x ex Abarth man) More fun for us to watch the transformation👍👍
Looking at getting one of these myself in the very near future, when I seen high mileage I was expecting 130 odd thousand, 93k is pretty good given its age, will keep an eye on this and maybe when I get mine we could do a video comparing the 2?
I have always like this gen of Minis, specially the Cooper S with its supercharger wine, I definitely need an intake for my supercharged S4 to be able to hear the wine
I loved my old R53... only to be wooed by a NB2 MX-5 for a brief period. After 3 years I'm coming back to the R53 largely because of the whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine, wha-whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine
I bought a Convertible one with 127000 miles .Gears are stiff gonna try lubrication to the lingage first and will.go from there.Can wait to getting it ready for mot and drive It.All for £450
Just got my first Mini Cooper 07 r56 as a project car. Was testing it out and fixing it but sadly 2 engine valves blew out. I’m only 23 so I have time for have trial and errors but sadly I did put some money into the car already and loved it a lot
@@StefABtv I’m planning on it. Had the car for almost a year and it’s driven for me amazingly until then. Appreciate it though, love seeing mini builds now
I clicked to see what you mean by high mileage, so basically it is 150 000 km. It is hard do explain how "high mileage" can mean many different things to different people. I often see some Alfa 159 diesels with 500 000 km and more and still going strong so saying that this is a hight mileage car is somewhat funny to me although it is, but not sure what is more true that we people here are poor or people there are a little bit spoiled. :)
Got mine for $1200 with 260k miles did a head gasket change and runs like a beast
Fantastic to see a TH-camrs who does not buy a Supercar to gain content,this was my first car I am now 70 and you have rekindled my desire to buy one
Thanks Derek!
94000 high mileage 🤣🤣
I know. If he did his research, he’d know 94k on a r53 is actually considered kinda low in the market 🤣
@@curtisstroud3 kinda? for me 120k was jackpot find hahah. To be fair most of the maintenance problems are resolved after 150k because half the car is made of replaced parts.
Mine has 150k but I live in Montana, which has a lot of open road compared to the UK, so they’re probably close to on par as far as wear goes
Thought the same 😂😂 Mine has about 142k miles and still runs like a machine.
I just bought my first R53 last week. It had one female owner from new and a full service history from a local german car specialist. The history came in a plastic bag with about 30+ receipts. It has loads of extras (pan roof, full leather H & K CD changer) and the chilli pack. It only has 67k miles and I paid £2200. Cant believe my luck but it does need a couple of jobs. I just stumbled across your video today and your smile is very similar to min after driving it for the first time ! Great video and I also like the tuning one !
Great looking car, I've owned a few R53 minis, still have one and I look after 4 more of my mates. Absolutely great cars, for tuning I wouldn't take it anywhere other than 1320 mini in st neots. What Scott and tom don't know about these cars isn't worth knowing, they are the only guys in the uk who can tune these properly. Orranje if you want parts oli and team are great used them for years. If you want 2nd parts then Jason at millsys autos in nuneaton be best place to go. Mods wise get the front bushes on the trailing arms swooped to poly bushes make it handle far better, 17% reduction pulley with a air tec or GRS intercooler swop header tank for an alloy one, ditch the run flates and the dual mass flywheel. Also when you have the passenger side wheel off look into where drive shaft goes into the box just above it is a sticker, if it has BKE it's a facelift box if its BKL its factory LSD (25%) thats gearbox to have. Also steer clear of the MSD coilpack bad news with those, just have a Google you'll see. 1320 make over 700bhp on the stock coil pack. Good luck with the R53 I'm sure you'll have fun
Agreed, 1320Mini Only place to take r53's they are the best in the mini game, defiantly go for a 15% or 17% pulley!, Airtec or GRS intercooler i agree with too. Orranje Stealth box induction or Airtec kit, Don't Recommend any Ram induction Kits does not cool the car down enough and no performance gains. I would not Recommend GTT for tuning the car, they are shamed in the Mini World check all the car forums we do not speak of that company in the Forums! Coming from an R53Owners Club Member!!!
Hi Stephen, Aron I will be moving to Dublin and want to by some small car for daily drives if I need too, but mainly for the weekend trips, I read that Irish second hand market is complete garbage, where should I look if I wanted to buy a car from UK?
Great info! Thank you!
I’ve always had a soft spot for these, so much car for the money. I just wished they designed better seats and steering wheels on these. The sound is always good though, even exhaust tones. A guy near my work has one and it pops and crackles such a nice note
The park lane (I think that's what they're called) leather seats are a great option in these. Very comfortable seats. They're in my R53
Looking forward to this, I bought an F56 cooper S last Feb after driving diesel saloons for years due to work commitments and kids, was like being 20 again, I love it every time I get to drive it!
I'm on my third R53. Most fun car I've ever driven. Love the ride feel. Love the sound. Juuuust enough power.
Start with the brakes because the stock ones start fading quickly! I went for R56 S brakes, braided lines, EBC pads + discs. The control arm bushings tend to wear out completely so you want to replace them with polyurethane ones (I chose Whiteline). I also went for a Milltek non res exhaust. Fantastic addition to the whole experience. Now all I need is a reduced pulley, CAI and remap! (And maybe a set of lightweight wheels with semi slicks for track use in the future)
Thanks! Really useful!!
How relaible are these with superchargers .??
Went to JCW brakes on my first brake replacement. Lovely. Eliminates 15" wheels from the menu.
After having my Abarth stolen I sulked for nearly 3 years before I decided what to do next. I then bought an r53 and love it. I’ve already bought bigger breaks but I need to get some other bits done beforehand, reduced pulley etc. From what I’ve been reading everyone suggests that the supercharger needs to be serviced around the 100k mark. If your going to be having a pulley I’d suggest that you service the supercharger and get the water pump at the same time.
I’m really looking forward to watching your videos, the ups and downs of these little beauties. Mine is a long term project so the mods etc will be over years not months like you.
Good luck and have fun :)
Sorry to hear your car was stolen :(
Loved my R53, since selling it the Abarth has been the closest giggle when driving I've had.
A reduced pulley, GP intercooler, M3 mini induction, KW V1 coilovers and a JCW exhaust (that was hard to get hold of) and it was a mad little thing.
Once modded flick off the TC for every drive, I found it kicked in when pulling out of junctions if not which can be worrying
They are a lot of fun for sure! Looking forward to modding my car :)
@@StefABtv Hi what's the advantage of having a reduced pulley, if you dont mind me asking, Cheers.
The r53 is at its core a drivers car, raw in handling and suspension feel, the whine of the supercharger; I love my car
i bought 2006 r53 in 2012 cost about 8k with 8000+ millages.. by saying in 10 years its down to 3k its cheap because this car is legend.. bought it in London n shipped to Malaysia.. still driving till this day
I purchased two 2005 R53 loved them both. Due to an injury I gave both to my brother since I can no longer drive a manual shift.
I'm buying a 2006 mini Cooper s Convertible and just had a pre-purchase inspection done By a BMW Dealership and it scored 100 on everything being mint and in good condition, I'm paying $7.500 US, and it has 102.496 miles , everything that is problematic has been changed including the supercharger pulley (15%) all bushings, belts and the belt tensioner have been changed. The top and frame are brand new. I can't beat it as the car was meticulously maintained with all service records present. I can't wait to drive my little beast , it's a cool car .
Got my second R 53 with 158K miles. Do a Dinan Chip and cold air induction! Too much stress with the pulley change. I got it up to 180 K miles....then got hit with brake calipers, ac compressor and throttle body.......did some of the repairs, but not the A/C.....great find mate...these are just So Much Fun!!!
Awesome! They are indeed so much fun!
My uncle owned one of these, interior exactly the same, and the coulour was the same, it was at first a Mini Cooper s R53, then he made the performance to match the Mini Cooper works. Rapid!!!
I've literally just today bought an 03 pre-facelift S - hence looking at youtube vids on them. Totally standard with last owner for 17 years. Never had one, but look forward to sharing some R53 insight. Best of luck with yours - actually looks like a lovely example, like them in that colour scheme.
for me, old minis (especially r53 generation) are beautiful as they are, but it's your car so have fun with it!
R56 Jcw owner here, this video gives me feels
I got my r53 about 2 years ago, my cousin was the 2nd owner, i paid $4500 USD cause he had a kid and needed a larger car, it had 41k miles! Currently has 58k miles. I have a craven speed cold air intake + k&n air filter, 15% pulley, and a milltek high airflow cat-back non resonated exhaust, i love this car lol, it's my first car and i've modded about over a year times span, currently about 200HP, looking into coil overs right now, rims, and a stage 1 tune / airtec top mounted and a Milltek exhaust header manifold kit.
The tuning companies i've been looking at have been VR Racing flash tunes, apparenlty BMW locked the "stage 2" aspects so you need to ship it out to go "stage 2" or if you know someone local they can do it obv but its hard to find sometimes local.
i love this car so much ever since my dad owned one a few years ago. its definitely a car i would love to buy as my second car.
Good choice Stef, I do love that generation of supercharged Mini.
Cheers dude
I bought exact same model and colur last week 160k mileage for 1,300£. It drives absolutely fantastic and at this price ifninjeed a new engine in qnyear or so ill happily spend the money on it
Enjoy, they are a lot of fun!
I recently bought my r53 for £1200 beginning of January it come with complete service up to last year, all oil seals done, full leather, heated rear and front windscreen, 2 keys, and the majority of paper work from the work it’s ever had done. Yes it’s a pre-facelift with 130k miles on the clock but it pulls! And it has a miltek exhaust and cat already on it! I got my self an absolute bargain!. I came from a Audi A3 8p 2.0 tfsi and I much prefer the mini overall
You’re just a head of me .. I’m buying a perfect r53 and just researching. So..
Maintenance .. check water pump, it’s seal, the water pipe behind it ages and leaks. The sump and valve cover seals, the water tank.
Performance ... before a pulley fit the better intercooler. These cars run hot. So got the intercooler you’ll get more bang for your existing buck. Then the pulley. Then the little ignition pack .. upgrade that too. Oh and fit a colder plug. Apparently the inlet and exhausts are restrictive. So a new cold air intake with a sports exhaust supposedly makes a feel feelable difference too. Let’s see what you do.
Let’s see what I do. Anyway you’ve got my subscription buddy. Let’s have a chat as we go through and good luck.
Hearing that functional hood coop suck down air when you give it the beans on the hood cam is so cool. Never seen a shot like that on a Mini.
Thanks!
The best mini design!!!! Just looks so good!
Agree. Love the shape of the gen 1
@@StefABtv not that I’m biased, however a good friend of mine designed it!
Driven many MINIs with that supercharger whine, intoxicating! So much fun.... Great video, looking forward to the next one.
Thanks buddy!
Common time for these to hit the market when coming close to the 100k service which includes the supercharger. I used 1320 mini near st.neots who are incredible and got them to do the service and while supercharger was off a new pulley fitted at the same time reduced 17 percent. colder spark plugs needed at the same time and any decent garage will advise you
100,000 mile service is the big one, super charger service and oil change which is a big job.
Recomend KW suspension. Adjustable rear caster and camber. Big brake upgrade before power upgrade. Poly bush throughout. Transformed my R50 with those mods and the guy I just sold it to was totally amazed by it even said he was going to sell his R53 as couldn't believe how mine went round the corners so much better. Can see a race coming up with PetrolPed in Ruby.
Legend thank you!
I own an r53 myself, love the car! mine has the IMASAF full exhaust system fitted and i'd definitely do that. more rare than milltek and in my opinion sounds better too!
My 2002 S turned 20 a couple of months ago. 390,000 km. Still gets 600 km on a tank. Took it trans continental 8 times - really liked Arizona. Upgraded to a JCW over the years. Looking forward to its silver anniversary.
Edit: ,000 instead of k
Mine was 2 owners 67k 24months warranty but is convertable 2006. I'm winning it seems. Nice vid pal
Thank you!!
What I love about the traction controle on these cars is that the light comes on to tell you that the wheels are spinning, it's not going to stop them the car is basically going brace yourself shits about to get real 🤣
Great fun these little go karts and my 72 year old mum loves hers especially after the 17% pulley, intercooler,sports cat and map. Enjoy 👍
I’ve been toying with the idea of getting one of these! Will be keeping track of this project Stef!
My R53 is on 140k, engine has been refreshed my 1320 and tuned by them to 240bhp, car runs like its brand new imo. Like others have said 1320 are the best r53 specialists
Thank you!
I've just been to 1320 today. What refresh on your engibe and how much did the rebuild cost of you don't mind me asking?
Had a 2004 cooper s for past 6 years. Will NEVER NEVER sell it. I wouldn’t touch it apart from reduced pulley and may be a supercharger service at 100k. That whine is something else. I very rarely listen to radio or a cd. Enjoy
Good job getting certain parts for it. A woman at work used to have one, and even 2-3 years ago she had to wait months for an abs part.
Hopefully won’t have to wait that long for parts! 🤞
Absolute piece of piss to get parts for. BMW keep loads in stock.
Ah the memories! I had 4 of these, last one being a GP1 (my fav car of all time). Please check the power steering pump and cover. Also check the radiator reservoir tank. As for mods / tuning - dial in a bit more snap crackle pop from the exhaust. 16 inch wheels with higher profile non-runflats are the most comfortable, although eighteens always look best. Wish you many happy miles!
Thank you for the info!
Was about to comment the same thing, just had to have the power steering pump done on mine
Supercharger service a MUST at that mileage.
I bought a 2006 Mini Cooper S for 2500 five years ago and it had 230xxx miles. I still have it with 276xxx miles and runs like a champ. And yes it’s manual
That’s amazing! Solid miles!
Cool car, always wanted one of these! Also really enjoying the cheap car content!
Thanks dude 🙌
I am a HUGE MINI fan, and so happy to see you are too with all your MINI content! Can't wait to see what you get up to with this little pocket rocket. Love your videos!
Thank you!!!
First performance improvement = Get rid of those wheels! The R85 'S-lites' (aka 'S-heavies') weigh over 25lbs each! They were the heaviest 17" wheel MINI put on the R53s -- by a LOT.
If you want to try a fun experiment, find a set of OEM R50 15" R81 7-hole Imola wheels -- they weighed only 12lbs each and will clear the OEM R53 brakes. Put a set of those on and you will feel the very noticeable difference in performance that a 13lb per wheel weigh reduction can yield.
By the way, 20 year MINI owner here -- R50, R53, R52 JCW, R56S, R55S, F56JCW...
Looking forward to this project!
Thank you! Great info!
I always like those minis
I had a factory Jcw r53 with the 210hp upgrade, i would check or replace coolant reservoir, ditch the run flats for a decent set of tyres transforms the way the car rides and handles. Decent set of discs pads as stock aren’t great. I would upgrade the stock exhaust for the jcw sounds great 👍.
Best car I have ever owned.
LOVED mine, proper tailhappy in the wet like a RWD car for some reason, it was such a laugh! Lohen were my go-to (Just off the MY in Staffordshire), they know every inch of these things. Excited for this one
Dude that supercharger whine is too cool!!! Another car that I don't think the US gets offered here
Cheers man
I'm in the US and have an 05 mini S. Beautiful whine. I love watching videos of ppl driving this car bc, without fail, the driver grins ear to ear. Most fun I've ever had driving a car. Close 2nd was my 99 Eclipse.
Welcome to a great club.
Change the BPV in the supercharger for a GTT or Rooster Racing item....it's an easy boost as they get saggy,weak spring,s and don't close and worth about 1psi over tired stock.An adjustable throttle control box feels like an extra 20 bhp on throttle sharpness( yes really) even though it adds nothing and are cheap to buy and easy to fit
Rear anti roll bar swap too and polybushying really tightens up the handling.
200 +bhp is more than enough and quite easily gained but it never seems to stop there for most.....Mintex racing pads will just about make the brakes passable, change the tired fluid for dot4.
I can't see me selling mine easily,I drive an RX8 also and it's my car of choice
94,000 with full service history ... just worn in mate 💪
Looking forward to seeing what you do with this!
Loving the new approach and presentation of your content. Shorter, snappier videos and more entertaining. Can't wait to see what plans you have for the r53...keep it coming...☺️
Thank you!
Best tuner for the mini Dervtech Manchester 👍👍👍
I’d advise getting the supercharger serviced as it needs to be done by 100k . Mod a mini are worth chatting to for any work and upgrades.
They can supply abs fit any parts . Our R52 was brilliant. I fitted the Forge style intake on ours and took the cold air feed from the bulkhead. The supercharge whine was ridiculous 👌🏻😂
I also fitted a full stainless system to it just before we sold it. That was crazy loud but the pops out of it were very angry 🥴🤷🏼♂️😂
Haha mega mate. Thanks on advice on the charger 🙌
R53 will be a classic.
Fantastic cars absolutely brilliant fun.
Mines currently for sale.
The early R53 is a future classic
1320mini at St Neots, best place for r53 supercharger mods. recommend Going Stage 2, Lohen Mini is also a good company. Owning two R53's, one stage 1 currently and another JCW 210, definitely would suggest going to 1320mini.
Get rid of the run flats 100%.
Totally get why you've bought the Mini. The Abarth and Mini offer same smile on your face drive, but arrive at it in totally different way. Owned both, loved both, and I've just got my mini l2 in red over black.👍
They are good fun little cars. So much fun to drive :)
@@StefABtv As much as I'm loving the l2 , although not the range in the cold weather (loving the pre heating mind). The r53 seamed to have more charm than the newer versions, something got lost???
Also found bmw/mini parts departments we're cheaper than after market parts strangely, bear them in mind when pricing things up.
I put the jcw grille in the top, but the lower one doesn't fit, so plasty coated the lower one in black. Came up really well and didn't diy at all.
Looking forward to more vids🙂👍👍
What’ a great car! We have one and it’s so raw and analogue. No screens and useless gadgets. It’s a blast to drive and I can’t wait to see what you do with yours.
Thanks Mark!
Great video mate. I've had my R53 Chilli Pack for +5years but ensured all mods look stock from the outside...
So, hand-built John Ashley (Walsall) beefy SS exhaust with OEM tips. Rebuilt engine at MJR Minimatt (Nr.Telford and BMW Mini trained), camshaft, pulley, intercooler, big brakes etc. etc.
Great fun to own and drive!! 👍
Thanks! Really enjoying the car. Great fun!
Just bought my first r53 this summer, its amazing and i love it more every day, the last owner had some bumps so the paint need some love. Hope to restore it so it can shine like new again. Best of luck to you, and cant wait to see what you will do to it. Maybe even give me some ideas! Haha
High mileage at 94k?! Your having a laugh! The last high mileage car I bought was a Vauxhall Insignia tourer (estate) 4 years old 154,000. Immediately remapped to 195bhp. Changed the original clutch and flywheel at 180,000 sold to my eldest at 198,000 after many trips across Italy (was living on the Adriatic). My eldest has since sold it to my youngest with 230,000 on the clock about a year ago. Still going well.
Cracking honest vlog buddy I look forward to more content.
Thank you!
Love R53 minis before they became 'oversized' with the later models.. Decided on an Abarth though, just too many minis on the road so i wanted something a little less common place :-)
I have this car same colour... Nicer wheels... .. Mileage is half yours and serviced properly from day ...
Got glass roof
Still goes like a rocket
I had a cooper s r53 with 200k miles that drove perfectly still
Ive had my R53 2005 for about 5 years now and I’ve loved it since day one. Yes indeed the power steering pump did fail me while I was driving so get that checked and the coolant reservoir tank cracked on me and started leaking. Had some more problems with it before that and I just changed it to a metal tank off of eBay, worked like a charm. Excited to see what cosmetic mods u end up doing, I changed my grill to a jcw black OEM, prefer it loads more than the chrome lines
gear box failed on mine and ended up being stuck in a bus stop
@@robloxfan4271 :(
I had one 260 0000 miles was running fine, cooper s 2005 , I had it years
I bought one of these last year to be used as a weekend toy/track car, it was cheap with 130k on the clock, i removed the supercharger to change the oil on it and also fitted a 17% reduction pulley to it with colder sparkplugs, then had the cat back exhaust fitted plus intake mods, had it remapped to sort the fueling and its a different car, i put some HSD monopro coilovers on it and changed the alloys for 17" with nankang ns2r's semi slick tyres fitted, now its like its on rails, the back end can be a bit iffy in the damp/wet roads so be careful of that :).
Yeah will do the same with a charger service and pulley in one go
I love the mini stuff got a gen3 Jcw had a r53 and loved that. Would advise to put a clutch in it most of then have gone or started slipping by that mileage. There loads of stuff you can buy but I would advise you for power to remove the supercharger send it off to gtt tuning to have the fully £900 rebuild they put a new pulley updated bearing and gears and set all the backlash in the rotors in the chargers and makes it stronger then from the factory. All so it the little thing like you can buy the lightened pulleys form lohen that make the car spin the charger sooner and faster. Cams in the r53 are really good for bigger power and when you have a clutch done I advise to buy every ball joint for the front but buy the roll centre adjusts for when you lower it will bring the hub back up so don’t kill your box or shafts and polly bush the anti roll bar and rear arm bushes only if you have it all out on the floor do it all once.
Thanks Elliott. Really helpful!
Going to buy one of these in the coming weeks. Wish me luck
Cool! Can't wait to see the progress you'll make on this car.
Thanks!
I forgot to tell you the mods I made on mine. Alta pully 15%, Alta Light weight crank pully, Alta cold air induction, Alta intercooler cover, stainless steel headers, OBX stainless steel exhaust. The exhaust was a little overkill as the popcorn sound was amplified when letting off the throttle, but mad fun.
Nice mods :)
That's almost identical to mine! 😀
Bought it March last year for c.£1400
105k, recent clutch, needed tlc rather than any meaningful work.
Put tyres and brakes on it so far. MOT time next!!
Facelift is the way to go, more pops and bangs, better supercharger. I went the other way and I bought the most expensive one (atleast one of them) in the netherlands :') Came with the chrono pack and factory recaro's tho.
Gotta love the Supercharged whine on these 🙌👍 nice car fella, hope you enjoy the new toy!
Cheers buddy!
my first r50 non s but has done 217000 miles and still was working fine but got t boned at a junction its not going out like that though. love the first new mini, I wouldn`t lower it they nailed how it handles standard
Occasionally, all of the wheel speed related indicator lights come on and stay on. I've found 3 out of 5 times, about 15 minutes of "auto-cross" on a dirt woods road will correct that.
About 5 years I got offered a pre face lift copper S with a works pack 180k on the clock for £800 same colour only difference was it had black wheels.
The car had a couple of owners but had FSH. I didn’t have the money but my cousin brought the car to replace her old mini one which had just expired with similar mileage.
The car I brought off a trader friend from my time in the motor trade.
My cousin had the car for about 2 years and was knocking on the door of 200k and to be honest was a very reliable she even did a couple of track days and replaced it with a yellow Abarth 595
Good to see them going strong at 200k
@@StefABtv as your had its 100,000mile service because that’s a big one. Ref wheeler dealer season 14 episode episode 16 2004 Mini Cooper S MC40s
@@StefABtv 237k and counting...🙂
At the moment i have a Mini r53 aswell and have fitted a 17% pulley with a tune from Minispeed (beek auto racing in NL) and on their dyno it produced 218hp at the crank with bkr7eix spark plugs. You will find the pulley upgrade the most bang for buck upgrade and definitly get a tune as the original timing is a bit to advanced on the top end which can lead to detonation. Good luck with the build
It is a facelift from 2004 with 170hp originally
I like it, I like the R53
Yes, you could take the easy route, get an Abarth, convert it to BiPosto standards, but I think you'd be bored. (This is from a 4x ex Abarth man)
More fun for us to watch the transformation👍👍
Loving your content and can't wait to see how you change things up on this Mini 👌🔥
Looking at getting one of these myself in the very near future, when I seen high mileage I was expecting 130 odd thousand, 93k is pretty good given its age, will keep an eye on this and maybe when I get mine we could do a video comparing the 2?
I have always like this gen of Minis, specially the Cooper S with its supercharger wine, I definitely need an intake for my supercharged S4 to be able to hear the wine
I loved my old R53... only to be wooed by a NB2 MX-5 for a brief period. After 3 years I'm coming back to the R53 largely because of the whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine, wha-whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine
Your Mutt is very cool - he'll be too big for the back seats soon 🤣
Nice little car.
Looking forward to your modifications.
Just got myself a Ford Fiesta Metal.
Only 250 sent to Australia from Germany.
Hi good luck with new project just love your co presenter hope he increases your views lovely wee guy.👍👍👍🐶🐶🐶
He’s a little legend :)
About 15 years ago I've own exactly the same Mini Cooper S.
Then I've changed and now I am big fan of Italian cars: Abarth and Alfa Romeo.
Can’t go wrong with Alfa and ABARTH for fun factor!
@@StefABtv Enjoy your Mini Cooper S. It's a go-kart
I bought a Convertible one with 127000 miles .Gears are stiff gonna try lubrication to the lingage first and will.go from there.Can wait to getting it ready for mot and drive
It.All for £450
Overall do you prefer this or abarth 124 and why?
124 for the fun factor as it’s real wheel drive. Much more mods available for the R53 though and it’s still a cracking little car for the money.
Just got my first Mini Cooper 07 r56 as a project car. Was testing it out and fixing it but sadly 2 engine valves blew out. I’m only 23 so I have time for have trial and errors but sadly I did put some money into the car already and loved it a lot
Sounds like an expensive fix. Hope you can get it sorted for not too much money 🤞
@@StefABtv I’m planning on it. Had the car for almost a year and it’s driven for me amazingly until then. Appreciate it though, love seeing mini builds now
First time watching your channel and I’m keen to see what you do with the R53 as I have one myself. Best car I’ve owned so far!
Thank you for watching 🙌
High millage “ninety four thousand” me who just bought a 185k mile r53 🫠
I’m used to Toyotas with 300k+ miles 😅
I clicked to see what you mean by high mileage, so basically it is 150 000 km. It is hard do explain how "high mileage" can mean many different things to different people. I often see some Alfa 159 diesels with 500 000 km and more and still going strong so saying that this is a hight mileage car is somewhat funny to me although it is, but not sure what is more true that we people here are poor or people there are a little bit spoiled. :)
Now 2 minis......hope Rollo fits in there 😃
He does :)